BOA powered alpine ski boots are here. You may have seen a few pairs here and there or you may have had the opportunity to actually try them out while on the mountain last year, but they’ve finally started to hit the shelves of your favorite ski shop this fall.
We’ve seen the fit system on snowboard boots since the beginning of the company, and we’ve seen it on bike shoes for quite a while. Today you can find the system in hiking gear, running shoes, tennis shoes, workwear, bracing, and much more. The system has even existed on lighter weight ski touring boots for quite a long while. But now it’s on alpine boots, and you probably have a few questions about BOA that you’d like to see answered.
What is BOA?
Founded in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, BOA removes the need for laces and other fit systems with a precision fit dial. Found most commonly on footwear, users typically push the BOA dial in to engage the system and twist to tighten for a precision fit.
The technology is divided into several different “series”, with each “series” filling out a different category of use. The “S-Series” is the most lightweight of the company’s products, typically found as a multidirectional fit system on helmets. The “L-Series” is the company’s lower force system, typically found in running, biking, hiking, and other shoes. The “M-Series” is designed to handle a bit more force, found in more intense hiking gear, mountaineering gear, some military gear, and more. This is where most ski mountaineering boots with the system tend to fall.
“H-Series” BOA foot systems are the heavyweights. BOA’s H4, H3+, and M3v2 systems feature precision fit tightening and a “push in to engage, pull up for fast release” set up. You can find these systems on snowboard boots, snowmobiling boots, and some firefighting gear. The H+i1 is the newest and heaviest of heavyweight systems, designed for our alpine ski boots. Unlike the previous H-Series systems, the H+i1 features both precision fit tightening and loosening, so you can really dial in the fit.
Why BOA on Alpine Ski Boots?
The lower two buckles on a typically four buckle alpine boot don’t really do all that much. They keep the boot closed and prevent water leakage, compressing down onto the top of the foot. The BOA H+i1 allows the shell of the boot to close around the foot, thus creating a much better connection between foot and shell.
With BOA, rather than just sealing out water and clamping down the shell, the lower portion of the boot is utilized to lock in your heel and forefoot, all while preventing pinching and over-tightening in specific locations. The result is a more comfortable fit, faster turn initiation, and improved transfer of force from the boot to the ski.
Modern ski boot buckles also require quite a lot of fiddling to nail the precision fit. The length of the buckles can usually be adjusted on a micro-scale, but that can take a fair bit of time. I don’t know about you, but I usually find myself messing with my boots all day, every day. With the BOA system, you just twist one way or the other. It’s simple, fast, and easy.
Durability
The biggest question I’ve seen surrounding the new BOA H+i1 is one of durability. Even if you’re not throwing yourself off huge cliffs or stomping massive airs, there’s a good chance you’re putting your boots through a boatload of pressure. Nobody wants to spend several hundred dollars on a pair of boots only to see them blow up within the first year of use.
The BOA H+i1 was designed with durability in mind. The stainless steel lace itself is designed with a tensile strength of over 254kg (~560 pounds), so it would take a pretty ridiculous amount of pressure to snap the chord. To handle unintended high-impacts, the dial was designed with a bayonet and cartridge system. So, rather than shattering or snapping off, everything is designed to come apart and easily be put back together.
Worst case scenario, something in the H+i1 system legitimately breaks. Lots of gear, including the modern ski alpine ski boot buckle, can fall apart. BOA guarantees their Fit Systems will last for the lifetime of the product on which it’s integrated. So, if something breaks, you can just head on over to their warranty claim tool, and they’ll almost definitely find a way to fix it.
What Boots?
The BOA H+i1 system isn’t yet available on every alpine ski boot in the world. Only four companies have released alpine boots with the fit system for the 2023/24 season, Atomic, Solomon, Fischer, and K2. Atomic placed the system on their touring capable Hawx Ultra XTD boot in the 130 and 110 for men and the 115 and 95 for women. Fischer stuck the system onto four of their RC4 ski boots, the Pro, the 130, the 120, and the 105. Salomon created the new S/PRO Supra line specifically for BOA boots, with a 130, 120, and 110 for men’s boots and a 105 and 95 for women’s boots. K2 offers the most boots with a BOA option, including four in the touring capable Mindbender line, three in the women’s Anthem line (115, 105, and 95), and three in the men’s Recon line (130, 120, and 110).
Should I Get Boots With BOA?
Your main priority when picking out ski boots should always be fit. Sure, a boot might have some sweet features, or it might look sick, but if you straight up purchase a boot without properly trying it on, there’s a good chance you’ll wind up having a pretty bad time. You should always see a boot fitter when purchasing ski boots, and you shouldn’t go into the process with too much in mind. Your foot size, or mondopoint in ski boot fitting, is just one part of finding the right sized boot.
BOA is sick, and you should definitely keep it in mind when looking at boots, but don’t be too disappointed if none of the BOA boots fit your foot right, and DON’T TRY TO FORCE IT. You’ll be a lot happier with a buckled boot that fits properly than a BOA boot that doesn’t, trust me.
Related: Pain VS Performance…A Discussion With Professional Ski Boot-Fitters
Image Credit: BOA Fit System via YouTube